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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23081929">The Whereabouts of Light</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amystis/pseuds/Amystis'>Amystis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts, 英雄伝説VI 空の軌跡 | Sora no Kiseki | The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Action &amp; Romance, Fantasy, Multi, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Post-Trails in the Sky SC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:02:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23081929</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amystis/pseuds/Amystis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In his search for Sora, who disappeared after the final battle against Xehanort, Riku reaches a new world where he meets Joshua Bright, a boy who seems to have a lot in common with him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Estelle Bright/Joshua Bright, Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Trails in the Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic takes places AFTER the events of Kingdom Hearts III and BETWEEN Trails in the Sky SC and Trails in the Sky 3rd. </p><p>NO knowledge about the Trails series is needed!</p><p>I've written this with the events of Re:Mind taken into account, however there are NO explicit Remind spoilers! </p><p>&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt; </p><p>I based the plot on the song "The Whereabouts of Light" (or "Hoshi no Arika" in Japanese) I quoted the lyrics throughout the fic. </p><p>Enjoy ^0^</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"Your shadow like the stars,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Will dissolve into the morning sky and disappear.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I have lost your whereabouts,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>But my thoughts of you are overflowing.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A clear blue blanket. Covering everything and nothing at the same time, without a single cloud to stain its colour. Yet a single white trail remained, drawing its path through the blue canvass as if somebody was painting on it with a brush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trail ended at a single dot. Ahead of the dot, there was nothing. Behind the dot however, the brush stroke grew longer and longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was flying up there, leaving this white line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It couldn’t be a Gummiship. An airplane? No, airplanes were louder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Riku looked up at the sky, there was total silence. Only the whispers of a breeze reached his ears. Wait, was the breeze whispering? Or whining?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the wind, Riku’s hair tickled his face. Not that it bothered him. Over the past year he had become weirdly numb. Hardly anything bothered him these days. Ever since…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blue sky turned orange. Sunset. Two people sitting at the beach. The sun’s rays engulf them. One person becomes black. Tainted in darkness, a shadow the light would soon devour. The person vanishes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without a trace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even after one year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Don’t think about that! Focus!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything normalized, the blue blanket returned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dot in the sky… It couldn’t be an airplane. An airship perhaps? It was hard to tell what kind of technology the people here were using.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku had never been in this world before, neither had Donald, Goofy, and therefore Sora. Maybe this world would hold the key? Would give them even the faintest clue to Sora’s whereabouts?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The airship had travelled onward. Its trail had begun to fade. Fade… Images of Sora’s vanishing shadow reappeared. Riku’s heart became unbearably heavy.</span>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"My heart was able to face</em>
  <br/>
  <em>both strength and weakness.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>As long as I'm with you,</em>
  <br/>
  <em> won't fear tomorrow no matter what it's like.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fateful Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Riku inspected the area. He had landed on a meadow. Single stems of grass caressed the bare skin on his legs. In the distance, he could make out a stone-paved path. Good, he was bound to reach a city when he followed it. And in the city, he may find a clue about Sora.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku turned on his heel and walked towards the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A rustle next to him made him jump sideward. He assumed a battle stance, not a second too early.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A monster – looking like a sheep, just a really… creepy sheep – leaped at him. Riku summoned his Keyblade, ready to fight the Creepy Sheep, when –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another shadow appeared before him. Though this shadow wasn’t anything like Sora or the darkness he had faced before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This shadow had arms and legs, was made of flesh and blood and most importantly, carried two swords that were sure to deal a lot of damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dual Strike!” the shadow screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a bizarre yelp, the Creepy Sheep was swatted away like a fly and awkwardly landed on the other side of the meadow before it ran away in panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shadow landed and sheathed his swords.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His dark clothes and quick movements had made his appearance blurry but now that he was standing still, Riku could get a better image of him. The “shadow” was actually a boy around his age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright? the wind curled through the stranger’s raven hair, as he spoke. Despite his rough appearance, the sturdy battle clothes, the muscles showing through his sleeveless jacket, and his two swords dangling down both sides of his hip, the boy’s face was gentle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber eyes, giving him a warm look. Though, if Riku watched closely he could’ve sworn, he saw some faint shreds of darkness within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they spotted his Keyblade, the amber eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s an interesting weapon you got there,” the stranger said, “I’ve never seen someone wield that before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh that,” Riku awkwardly looked at his Keyblade. He had to choose his words carefully now. Under no circumstances could he reveal that he came from another world. Though he had the feeling those amber eyes could easily see through any deception.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a special weapon where I am from,” Riku tried to sound as casual as possible, and let the Keyblade disappear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The raven-haired boy kept silent for a while. Riku grew uneasy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, the boy nodded, “Amazing, you must use a very special kind of Orbment. So, are you a traveller?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you could say that,” Riku immediately replied, even though he had not a single clue what an “Orbment” was supposed to be. “Thanks for helping me, by the way. I’m Riku.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem, I’m Joshua.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua, huh? The last time Riku had met someone named Joshua, he had spoken about dream worlds, then suddenly he had grown wings and flown away. Hopefully the encounter with this Joshua would end up to be less… bizarre.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Joshua, do you know if there’s a town nearby?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, we’re close to Rolent. Though you’ll have to be careful, there’s a dangerous monster roaming around in this area. I was just on my way to eliminate it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A dangerous monster? Riku pondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It couldn’t possibly be a Heartless, could it? He wanted to be sure. Plus, he owed Joshua something for helping him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… he couldn’t really explain it, but he felt like there was something connecting them. As if they had walked a similar path before. As if they had both struggled with their own darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you mind me helping you with the extermination? I guess, I owe you something for helping me out with that Creepy Sheep,” Riku said the last part with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua thought about the offer for a second, then he smiled, “Normally, I would say “no”, but I can see that you are an experienced fighter, so I’ll gladly take you up on that offer. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>"Please believe in the times<br/>When you and I were walking together.”</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt weird, peacefully walking under this blue sky. Normally, the places Riku travelled to were much gloomier. The Realm of Darkness, the World That Never Was …He gulped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Keyblade Graveyard. The last place, where he had been with Sora. Fought along his side. Watched him depart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you do this often? Hunting monsters?” Riku asked in order to distract himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do all kinds of things. I’m a Bracer. …I’m a member of a non-governmental organisation acting to keep the peace and protect civilians.” Joshua added the last bit upon Riku’s puzzled gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku had to suppress a laugh, when he imagined how confused Sora would have been over such an explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you don’t fight for a country or a company. You simply protect what matters. The people,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a very good way of putting it, yes,” Joshua seemed to like Riku’s definition, “Though, I usually don’t work alone. My partner and I split up for today because a lot of requests came in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku raised an eyebrow, “Your partner?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Estelle.” Even though they were on their way to fight a monster, Joshua’s expression softened. The name alone banished any traces of darkness Riku had seen in the amber eyes before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Estelle… You could say she is my star. She always shines in my life, bright like the sun. And her light never faded, not even when I went astray, when I walked a path of darkness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku could feel Joshua’s words came from the depths of his heart. Estelle and he must have been through an awful lot. Their hearts must be connected in a way nobody could ever manage to sever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you care deeply about this Estelle,” Riku said with a warm feeling in his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would he sound the same if he was talking about Sora? Would his expression also be so peaceful? Would any darkness in his heart vanish, even if only for a mere moment?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua apparently realized what he had just said and blushed a little. “Haha, sorry. I guess I got a little poetic here. Anyways, Riku, what brought you to this country?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The short moment of peace was over. The cold realization that Sora was gone, without a trace, swept over Riku yet again. Though he’d had this sensation countless times before, it never ceased to startle him. Suddenly, his body weighed a million tons, every step became a struggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m searching for someone…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Joshua sounded compassionate. He focused his eyes on the ground, “I get how you feel. Estelle and I are searching for someone too. A girl that’s caught in the same darkness, I was. I managed to escape thanks to Estelle. But Renne, that girl… She’s still struggling with the despair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though Riku knew nothing about this “Renne” girl, there was no doubt in his heart she was in good hands with someone like Joshua caring about her. After all, you could only understand the darkness if you have been one with the darkness yourself. Riku had painfully learnt that, and he was grateful for this lesson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua also had escaped the darkness. He and Riku walked the same path now. The road to dawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of road, a rather unfriendly companion appeared in the distance of the road they were currently walking on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku summoned his Keyblade. The creature wasn’t a Heartless but something that seemed like a giant tortoise. The multiple orange spikes on its shell almost looked ready to fly off like little jets. This Jet Tortoise was blocking the road and therefore the entrance to town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that he was eye to eye with this actual monster, he fully grasped the vocation of a Bracer. If they wouldn’t fight this enemy now, civilians could get hurt in the future.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There it is!” Joshua drew his swords. “You’re ready, Riku?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After you,” Riku grinned, and Joshua nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He darted forward and drove his swords across the Jet Tortoise’s body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True Flicker!” he shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, his blades couldn’t do as much as scratch the hard shell. Not that they needed to. Joshua’s attack had distracted the enemy and left a perfect opening for Riku to make his move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted his Keyblade, concentrated all his Mana on its tip. The power gathered…and gathered… Now!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dark Firaga!” Riku exclaimed and watched the ball of black fire explode in the turtle’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A perfect hit, that could have taken down fifteen ordinary Shadows at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Jet Tortoise flew through the air, landed on its back, its limbs numb, and remained there, motionless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you’re amazing!” Joshua sheathed his swords, “I feel almost bad for interfering with your fight before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku couldn’t help but feel proud for being praised by somebody as skilled as Joshua.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he thought a simple Dark Firaga was amazing, he should see what attacks Riku could unleash together with Terra or King Mickey. Or even better, the gigantic Keyblade he could summon with Sora…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku approached the defeated Jet Tortoise and inspected it, before he could dwell too much on the past again. He wanted to drop a witty remark, like “You always encounter such friendly folks on the road?”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet the Jet Tortoise’s sudden reawakening wouldn’t let him speak a single word. Neither did the snap of its tail that sent the Keyblade Master flying. Nor did the pain that exploded in Riku’s hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, the image of the blue sky mixed with Joshua’s shocked screams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then everything returned to darkness.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Whereabouts of Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"There's no truth or lie;</em>
  <br/>
  <em>dawn will break, and morning will come.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Even when the starry sky dissolves at dawn,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I will still be able to identify your shine.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <span>Amidst the darkness, a single flicker of light shone through. It took shape, manifested. A hand, bright like a star, reaching out for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A warm feeling spread in his heart. A familiar feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sora… “</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Riku reached out for the hand, a sudden burst of light swallowed the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blue sky returned. A few new trails had been drawn across it. They would soon vanish again. Like Sora’s hand just disappeared in the returning light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moaning, Riku sat up and found himself surprised at how little his hip hurt. Somebody had leaned him against a pillar at the edge of the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the corner of his eye, he spotted the turtle lying amidst the grass with two deep sword cuts across its torso. Now at least, it had been taken out for good. Or so Riku hoped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He averted his gaze from the monster and finally looked into the amber eyes of the person who had just saved his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess I let my guard down,” Riku said with a strained smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could say that,” Joshua sighed and let himself fall next to the pillar. Fighting that turtle all on his own had obviously taken its toll on him. “To be honest, I thought there was something weird about the way you walked. You always seemed to protect one side of your body. I can’t believe you would fight with an injured hip like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku didn’t know how to respond. Joshua had hit bullseye. Xemnas had managed to gravely wound his left hip during their battle, and it hadn’t properly healed yet. Mainly because he didn’t give it the time to heal. Riku was painfully aware of how dumb and arrogant his decision was but he simply couldn’t bear the thought of standing idly by and resting his body, while the other Keyblade Wielders were struggling so hard to find Sora.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If a little pain in the hip was the price for tracking Sora faster, Riku was more than glad to pay it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve applied some Teara Balm to the wound, though this is only a temporary method. You’ll need a lot of time for it to heal properly,” Joshua said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that’s why the pain had almost vanished. Riku conducted that Teara Balm must be this world’s equivalent of a Hi-Potion and nodded, “Yeah, it’s much better, thanks. And sorry for letting you down in that battle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it would have been too boring, if we had simply taken it out like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, Riku found himself looking up. The sky in this world had a somewhat magical appeal. He felt like he could stare at it forever, waiting for more and more trails to appear and then fade away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, the sun wandered towards the horizon. A few hours remained before the blue would turn to orange and then black. And before Riku would be reminded of Sora’s disappearance yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The breeze across his face, the pillar pressed against his back… everything seemed so distant. All that mattered anymore was Riku and the sun and its light and the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku closed his eyes. Even through the darkness, the sun’s rays warmed his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And through the darkness, he heard something rattling. Then a short breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A short deep note. A higher one. A deep one. A higher one. A long deep one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The notes repeated, gradually evolved into a melody, and the melody guided the notes through the darkness. They combined, grew stronger, fiercer. A perfect harmony and even if no words were embedded in the music, the emotions they carried were unmistakable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A short pause, a long note to try and grasp the meaning before a next set of tones continued to tell another story. For the finale, the first set of notes repeated. One last tone, then the piece of music was finished.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>“Not knowing what "goodbye" is,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I was dreaming all by myself.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>At that time, in your eyes,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>what was being reflected?”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Riku opened his eyes and let the light flood his vision. The sky was blue as always. Actually, nothing had changed at all, except his skin was covered in goose-bumps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua let his arms sink, in his hands a shiny rectangle. The simple harmonica he had just played this simple melody on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have thought somebody who could bash monsters’ heads in so easily, would also be such a great musician,” Riku said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua smiled, “You like it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku knew that sentence must have sounded basic, but he really meant it. The last time he had felt so moved by a melody was when Sora’s and his heart had united to play Dearly Beloved together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was a long time ago, though. In a dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua gently placed one hand over the harmonica, as if he wanted to shield it from any harm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This song is called ‘The Whereabouts of Light’ or ‘Hoshi no Arika’, ‘The Whereabouts of Stars’ in its original language. A song about losing a precious person… and swearing to find them again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that’s why…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku blinked as he glimpsed into the sunlit sky and watched another trail appear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that’s why he had felt so many emotions in the melody. It was as if his resolve, as if the oath he had sworn had transformed into this music piece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would find him. He would save him. His most precious person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sora…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Whereabouts of Light. How oddly fitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Joshua said after a short silence, “I’ve heard you repeat a name over and over while you were out cold. This Sora… Is he your Estelle? Your light?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” As Riku spoke, all the memories of Sora flooded into his heart like the sun did if you removed the curtains, “I guess you could call him my light.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"The times when the two of us were connected,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>no one will ever erase them.” </em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Riku bit his lip, “My light that I have lost.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cradle Where the Feelings Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Since he lived nearby, Joshua proposed to spend the night at his home, and Riku gladly took him up on his offer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On their way back they encountered a few minor monsters but no Heartless. During battle, Riku and Joshua formed an excellent team. Maybe it was because both of them had walked in the darkness before, that they had such a mutual understanding for each other’s next move. Not to mention Joshua’s fighting abilities alone were easily on par with that of a Keyblade Master. If not even stronger. He wielded his dual swords like an absolute pro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua also told him more about Estelle. How they had travelled the country together, and how he had always strived to protect her. At one point, he had run away from her to settle things with his own past, but Estelle had chased him relentlessly until they were together again. They fought an evil organisation, and even explored an ancient city floating in the sky. The ancient city where they had almost lost their lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After their final battle, the entire floating constellation had begun to fall apart, and Estelle and Joshua had been separated from their friends. They had watched the ground around them collapse piece after piece, knowing it would only be a matter of time until they would meet their demise alongside the floating city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In that moment, amidst the destruction, they had held each other in their arms and kissed- Before the last bit of ground was ripped from beneath their feet and they dived straight into the abyss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were saved mid-fall,” Joshua concluded his tale, “But Estelle and I hadn’t been scared for one second. If we would have been to die, floating in the sky, just the two of us embracing each other… I wouldn’t have minded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surely, other people would have considered Joshua to be crazy by now. Not Riku. He understood exactly how Joshua and Estelle must have felt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After defeating Xemnas, Sora and he had been trapped in the Realm of Darkness, a place of sheer despair. Knowing there was no way out, knowing they would never be able to return to Destiny Islands, knowing they would be forced to fight Heartless until they would eventually be consumed by hopelessness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet, they were at complete peace because each other’s presence had been everything they needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If the world was made out of light and darkness, they would have been the darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>“Be it loneliness or pain,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I want to feel you no matter what.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>If we can look each other in the eyes once more,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>our wish will surely come true.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Riku longed to tell Joshua how perfectly he understood his feelings. However, the worlds must be kept separated. He couldn’t dare to reveal anything about the Realm of Darkness, or the order was at stake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sure would love to meet this Estelle of yours,” Riku replied instead. “She must be quite the character if she makes a hardened fighter like you talk like a poetic romanticist,” he added with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might see her sooner than you think, we’ve almost arrived. Though I must warn you she is indeed quite the character,” Joshua replied, also grinning. Then his expression became worried and he murmured something to himself, which Riku couldn’t quite make out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It sounded something like “But hopefully she will spare us with her…special cooking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been walking for some time now. The meadow had switched places with a small wood, and the stone-paved street had made way for a thinner, bumpier path. If he watched closely, Riku could spot walls and a clock tower in the distance. So, Joshua and Estelle lived at the city’s outskirts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took another turn and…wow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind a tiny stone fence, a rural house came in sight. The walls were made of simple grey bricks piled upon one another, with a few wooden supports. The roof looked rather playful, with its three-coloured tiles, and the cute chimney enthroned on it. A balcony wrapped itself all around the second floor, while a spacious veranda at the second floor invited you to spend a lazy afternoon bathing in the sun. Speaking of which, a few single rays shown through the wood’s foil and reflected in a beautiful play of colours from a pond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This place radiated tranquillity. Even though Riku had never been here before, even though this wasn’t the Destiny Islands, he felt at… home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku stepped with Joshua through the entrance gate, still admiring the beautiful lodging, and on the veranda, he glimpsed something moving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JOSHUA BRIGHT!” an energetic voice cut through the tranquillity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An energetic female voice. Wait, could it be?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A young woman appeared at the entrance door. Her auburn twin tails and her skirt fluttered in the wind as she came running towards the boys, the earth crackled under her sneakers when she halted right before Joshua’s face, arms akimbo and glaring at the raven-haired boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face had something tomboy-ish about it, and her posture revealed she was not somebody who would bow to another’s will easily. Her trained body and battle clothes showed she was an experienced fighter, maybe not as skilled as Joshua but a girl you wouldn’t want to pick a fight with unless you absolutely had too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, it wasn’t her loud behaviour or her energy that baffled Riku. Suddenly, Joshua’s poetic babblings didn’t seem exaggerating at all. That girl radiated with a light, so bright and pure, it could even rival the hearts of the seven princesses. Estelle… she truly did shine as bright as the sun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Currently, the “sun” had to pick a bone with Joshua, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I leave you alone for one afternoon, and you come home with another man?! Are you serious, Joshua?!” Estelle’s evil glares wouldn’t let up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Riku had properly processed her words, the uncomfortableness reached a new level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-It’s not- I’m sorry,” Riku stumbled, and cast a pleading glance at Joshua who didn’t look the least bit concerned. On the contrary, Joshua was smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl giggled, and Riku felt like an idiot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just joking,” Estelle laughed, and Riku joined her, mainly to cover up his own embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to disturb you at home like this,” he said after they had calmed down, “I’m Riku.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you. I’m Estelle. Estelle Bright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your last name is Bright?! But that’s the same as Joshua’s. Are you- “ Riku stared at Joshua in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those innocent amber eyes had been hiding a traitor! He had told him so much about Estelle but spared him that detail?! Were Estelle and Joshua already married at such a young age?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even worse, Riku had called Sora his light before. Would Joshua be thinking they had the same kind of relationship?! Riku wanted to bury himself in embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet Joshua dared to stand idly by and smile so innocently, “I haven’t told you yet, have I? Estelle and I are kinda siblings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHAAAAAAAAT?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s kinda complicated… Let’s head inside, I’ll explain everything."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Silver Will</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Joshua had apologized to Riku multiple times in advance, and once Estelle had proudly placed the results of her little cooking adventure, he understood the reason why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, if you carefully removed all the cracked eggshell pieces and didn’t mind the small brocks of sea salt, the omelette was still rather tasty. That, or simply anything was still rather tasty after a day of battling Creepy Sheep and getting hurled away by a Jet Tortoise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Joshua was forced to work for a criminal organisation when he was a child. My father rescued him and adopted him into our family. That’s why we have the same last name,” Estelle explained their ambiguous situation, while gobbling down her food. At the very least, she enjoyed her dinner to the fullest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Riku wondered if that criminal organisation was similar to Organisation XIII but he didn’t want to pry. This appeared to be a painful chapter in Joshua’s past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Satisfied, Riku finished the final bit of his omelette. Just when he thought he’d successfully dodged every eggshell in his meal, an unpleasant crackle between his teeth taught him better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grimacing, he swallowed. He remembered the time Sora had baked a Tarte aux Fruits for him. That cake had been sprawling with eggshell pieces, like the Realm of Darkness did with Heartless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even with Little Chef guiding him, Sora simply wasn’t able to crack the eggs right. Still, Riku had pretended that the Tarte aux Fruits was flawless, even if it was just to make Sora happy. That smile of his had been worth so much more than gulping down a few pieces of eggshell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you like the omelette?!” Estelle leant in closer, excited for Riku’s answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, it was… crunchy. But in a good way!” Riku replied, and while Estelle cheered for a second, he exchanged a smile with Joshua, who (how Riku was oddly convinced of) probably volunteered for cooking duty most of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See Joshua, I told you my cooking is better than you say! And now that that’s settled,” Estelle rose from her chair and pointed at Riku, “How about a little sparring battle between me and the visitor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Estelle. Cut him some slack,” Joshua sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually,” Riku looked into Estelle’s determined hazel eyes and saw Sora in her. The Sora, that would challenge him over and over again for duels and races, living in the false hope that he could ever stand a chance against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind a little post-dinner workout.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, are you ready?” Joshua was standing in the middle of the small training grounds in the Brights’ garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku examined Estelle who was standing at the other end of the battlefield. He had kinda expected her to wield a sword but instead of a blade and a hilt, she held a long red staff in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku silently made it his top priority not to make any more acquaintances with her staff than necessary. There was something professional about the way she wielded her weapon, and he knew better than to underestimate that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am. But Riku hasn’t drawn his weapon yet,” Estelle said. Her twin tails waggled along the rest of her body, unable to contain itself in the anticipation of the match. Her sneakers impatiently pawed the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joshua grinned, “He’s got a neat trick. Just watch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku considered this his cue and summoned his Keyblade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Estelle’s eyes widened, “Amazing! You must be using an awesome Orbment!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s save the chit-chat for later,” Joshua lifted his hands and let them fall in an x-shape, “Begin!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the battle had started, Estelle’s jumpiness vanished. She darted across the battlefield with such precision, Riku was baffled for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hiyah!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Estelle jumped, and the silver end of her staff sparkled in the setting sun. Riku easily blocked her direct attack. Feeling the impact of her staff hitting his Keyblade only strengthened his resolve not to get hit by that thing any more times than necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Estelle landed and launched a quick session of attacks all of which Riku was able to deflect. He attempted to counter the last hit, and she quickly dodged and grew some distance between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he had a perfect aim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku concentrated on his Shotlock but Estelle was one step ahead. She ran towards him, spun around and created a small tornado with her staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Final Hurricane,” she shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku just managed to summon Reflect in time and clenched his teeth once he felt the various single hits almost shatter his shield.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been trapped in a Flying Laser Dome before, and honestly, he was pretty sure by now, that a single attack from Estelle’s staff would easily equal one of Xemnas’ Ethereal Blades.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Estelle slowed down and took a second to regain her balance. An opening Riku immediately made use of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He collected all his Mana, directed it at the tip of his Keyblade, and –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dark Firaga,” he shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the fireball left his weapon, he realized Estelle had been in the middle of casting as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue Impact,” Estelle screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just before Riku’s attack could hit her, a huge mass of water appeared before her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two spells collided, and their impact blew Riku and Estelle off their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They landed on the ground and neither of them stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Draw,” Joshua’s voice sounded throughout the garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Panting, Riku watched the setting sun on the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Funny, he hadn’t even realized it was evening already. Normally, he’d get really depressed around that time, thinking about Sora and his disappearance. But this time he was rather fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, you’re pretty good,” Estelle laughed in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That should have been my line,” Riku sat up so he could look Estelle in the eyes. They were both covered in dirt from their battle and grinning at each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the corner of his eye, Riku saw Joshua’s sneakers appear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were both pretty good, but I’ll stop you right here, before you blow the house up with your crazy spells,” Joshua said and sat down next to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The setting sun prickled on Riku’s skin, the earth on his arms and face itched. There wasn’t anything numb anymore. He hadn’t felt that alive in ages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Riku, does that weapon of yours have a name?” Estelle asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bit puzzled by the question, Riku lifted the hilt of his Keyblade. The twilight dyed the usually silver blade in orange, and if he looked closely, he could see a mirror version of his face. Even though the image was blurry, something about the reflection seemed different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe his eyes? Had the turquoise colour brightened by any chance?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it does have a name,” Riku answered while still gazing at the reflection. His fingers wrapped tighter around the hilt, “Braveheart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Braveheart… Sounds kinda lame if you ask me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Estelle’s words crushed any thought that had been rambling inside Riku’s brain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>L-lame?! He had been so proud of the name… And yet Estelle ripped the name apart like it had just been caught in her deadly True Hurricane attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku stared at her in disbelief, but Estelle wouldn’t let up, “Yeah, can’t you think of something that fits the weapon’s look a little bit better? Like “The Heavy Blade” or “The Silver Streak” or… “</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silver Will,” Joshua mumbled, and Estelle paused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silver Will,” Joshua repeated and smiled at Riku, “It reminds me of an old friend of mine. He was a swordsman too, willing to go to all lengths to protect what he holds dear. Even if it meant sacrifices. You kinda remind me of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The amber eyes looked like they were reminiscing. Estelle had fallen silent. No matter who this swordsman was, it was hard to miss that he had been a person dear to Joshua.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, Riku looked at the sword hilt in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willing to go to all lengths to protect what he holds dear…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The will to protect what matters. The will to protect the one person who matters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silver Will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku closed his eyes and let the setting sun warm his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kinda liked the name.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Whereabouts of Hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"Before the break of dawn,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>the wind flows down our cheeks mesmerizingly.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Your voice and your fragrance,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>they engulfed and filled up my everything.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, Riku had no trouble falling asleep. Be it because of the strenuous battles during the day, Estelle’s questionable eggshell omelette in his stomach, or simply because the Brights’ Family House felt a little bit like home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something beautiful about this world, something brilliant about the way the sky looked and something soothing about his experiences here. And Riku was convinced that was mainly because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation they had before going to bed resounded in the depths of his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are looking for someone?” Estelle had asked with eyes wide open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Riku had replied glumly, “The light I have lost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she had suddenly bent forward, her face almost touching his own, and Riku had been so flustered, he wanted to push her away, but the next words she had spoken had caused him to stop mid-movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look for him!” Estelle’s hazel eyes had pierced right through him. Her light and her determination, “Look for him with all your might, wish for him to come back, and never give up, no matter how hopeless the situation is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she had exchanged a look with Joshua, and in this mere second their eyes had been locked, Riku had felt all the hardships and despair they had fought together, just to be together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Estelle had looked for Joshua and found him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sora had looked for Riku and found him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was Riku’s turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wouldn’t give up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While lying in bed, already half-asleep, Riku summoned Braveheart, no Silver Will, and watched his reflection one last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since when has he been able to smile so sincerely? Even with Sora gone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thoughts whirled around in Riku’s head but his eyelids became too heavy, to think any of them to an end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Exhausted, Riku let Silver Will disappear and cuddled into his pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he drifted farther, and farther away to the land of dreams, he subconsciously began to hum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A short deep note. A higher one. A deep one. A higher one. A long deep one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riku fell asleep to this beautiful melody.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Whereabouts of Light”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would find his light. He would find Sora. By all means necessary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <em>"Let the memories fly,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>then they will soar up to your sky.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Even when the starry sky dissolves at dawn,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I will still be able to identify your shine.”</em>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p> </p><p>There was nothing. No smells, no sounds, no light. Only darkness. </p><p>His body floated in mid-air. There was no gravity to keep him. </p><p>He wanted to stand somewhere but there was nothing. He wanted to feel something but there was nothing. </p><p>He tried to move but his body was stiff. Frozen even.  </p><p>He was forced to remain here, alone, motionless, in the darkness. </p><p>From far, far away, a small light appeared. </p><p>A hummed melody reached his ears. </p><p>A short deep note. A higher one. A deep one. A higher one. A long deep one. </p><p>Even though his lips were frozen, Sora managed to smile. </p><p>The melody of “The Whereabouts of Light” resonated within the darkness. </p><p> </p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p><p>
  <strong><em>“I love you, it's that simple,</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>So, the two of us will be able to meet again.”</em> </strong>
</p><p>･ﾟ*｡･ <br/> ﾟ*｡･ﾟ｡　･ *ﾟ｡   <br/> ｡  *　 ﾟ･｡ *  ｡ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ ｡</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me get this straight: I love Trails &lt;3</p><p>It's a great RPG series with a lot of attention to detail and I've become quite attached to its characters q.q </p><p>I realized that there could actually be a lot parallels found between the Estelle's and Joshua's and Sora's and Riku's relationships </p><p>Then I read the lyrics of "Whereabouts of Light", my brain went "AAAAAAA"...aaaand here we are^^" </p><p>I based the titles and monsters on actual music tracks/enemies from the original "Trails in the Skies" trilogy</p><p>I had a lot of fun writing this, combining my undying love for the Trails series and my never-ending obsession with Kingdom Hearts^0^ </p><p>I hope I could properly convey the "Trails" universe and I hope you enjoyed going onto this little adventure with Riku^^"</p></blockquote></div></div>
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